Marilena Schmich

Real talk, let me break down Marilena Schmich. This girl is the real deal in the foodtech space. She’s a total powerhouse who jumped into the scene with some serious creds. Started out at McKinsey, crushing strategy and scaling big ventures, then moved into food tech with a gig at a unicorn – basically, she’s been in the trenches of business building from day one.

But she didn’t just stick to consulting and big companies. Nah, she wanted to make a real impact. So, in 2022, she founded Ordinary Seafood, a biotech-driven startup in Potsdam, Germany. Think plant-based seafood but on steroids. They’re using biotech to create fake shrimp and salmon that actually taste good and are better for the planet. No Cap, it’s kinda like what Impossible did for meat – but for seafood. That’s a huge move because seafood is huge globally, and sustainability is the future.

And she’s not doing this alone. She’s backed by Y Combinator – the VC startup gold standard – and Nucleus Capital, which shows she’s got the right vibes and connections. She’s super planned about partnerships too, always looking to team up with chefs and restaurants to get her product out there.

What’s wild is her process shows she’s all about innovation and making a difference. She’s been around the block, seen what works, and now she’s channeling all that experience into changing how we eat seafood. She’s driven by a bigger mission – to shake up the food industry and push sustainability forward. That’s what makes her stand out – she’s not just building a startup, she’s building a movement.

Long story short, Marilena Schmich is a strategist turned foodtech disruptor who’s here to change the game. She’s got the brains, the backing, and the vision. Honestly, she’s one of those founders you gotta keep an eye on – she’s just getting started and she’s already crushing it.